Curt Anderson
Encyclopedia
Curtis Stovall Anderson (born October 12, 1949) is an American politician, lawyer and former broadcast journalist
. Anderson was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates
in 1983, is the chairman of the Baltimore City Delegation
, and past chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
. After serving 12 years, he was elected again in 2002. Anderson was also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
in 1992 (Clinton
) and 2008 (Obama
).
, moved the family to Baltimore, in 1952, to take a job as the Dean of men at Morgan State and assistant rector at the St. James Episcopal Church. Anderson's parents divorced in 1957 and he and his two sisters were raised by his mother.
. In 1964 he entered the Baltimore City College
. He was the captain of the football
and track teams and won a scholarship to Rutgers University
. Anderson majored in political science and made the freshman and varsity football and freshman track teams. In the fall of 1969, Rutgers played Princeton
, in the 100th Anniversary of college football; the first game being played by Rutgers and Princeton in 1869. Anderson saw limited action in the game and left Rutgers at the end of the semester. In 1973 he entered Morgan State College
where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science. He also played on the legendary “Ten Bears
” lacrosse
team, the only black college lacrosse team in America. In 1982, after, his television career, he entered the University of Baltimore Law School where he earned his Juris Doctor
.
Prior to running for the House of Delegates Curt Anderson anchored the news at channel 2, WMAR-TV
, and channel 11, WBAL-TV
, in Baltimore, Maryland. Anderson was first hired by WBAL in 1976 as a reporter where he regularly covered the state legislature, Baltimore City Hall
, produced features and even boxed a round with Muhammad Ali
as a feature story in 1978. In 1980 he was hired by WMAR-TV to be the station's weekend anchor and reported on such events as the Wayne Williams
trial in Atlanta (1981) and the Cuban refugee influx in Pennsylvania. In April 1982, Anderson was let go by WMAR-TV following a 90 day labor strike.
After the strike at WMAR, Anderson was let go from his television job and ran for the House of Delegates while entering law school. He won a seat served for 12 years before running for the Maryland Senate and losing in 1994.
After serving seven years in the Maryland General Assembly
, Anderson was elected chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
. As chairman he sponsored and saw passed Maryland's Minoirty Business Enterprise Act. One of the benefits of this act for minority business was increased participation in major state projects like the building of Oriole Park at Camden Yards
. Nearly 20% of the contracts let for the construction of the new ballpark went to minority owned businesses. After 12 years in the House, Anderson ran for the Senate in 1994 but was defeated in the democratic primary. He practiced law for the next 8 years. In 2002 he made a run for the House of Delegates. As before he was a non-incumbent running against four incumbents for three seats. Unlike his first race in 1982 where he beat all the incumbents and finished first, this time Anderson finished third with a razor thin 100 vote margin of victory over 4th place finisher incumbent Ken Montague. In the 2006 general election campaign, Anderson joined with 43rd district incumbents Senator Joan Carter Conway
, and Delegates Maggie McIntosh
and Ann Marie Doory
to defeat a field of 6 other challengers.
, Anderson and his colleagues prevailed and a pro-slots bill never made it out of the House of Delegates though similar bills had passed the State Senate. In 2005, however, all that changed; both chambers passed different pro-slots bills. In the House of Delegates the measure passed by a 71–66 vote. In 2007 new Governor, Martin O'Malley
, hinted at some marginal support for slots as a possible new revenue source. Although Anderson and O'Malley share party affiliations, Anderson remained a staunch opponent of bringing slots into Maryland.
's committee on crime and justice. In 2003, Delegate Anderson was appointed to and currently serves on the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy
. His experiences from these positions as well as his background as a criminal defense attorney led him to the conclusion that most crime is just a symptom of the larger problem that society faces: drug addiction. In the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly, Anderson, therefore, introduced measures to increase drug treatment funding while requiring the state's courts to refer first time misdemeanor drug users to treatment. The initiative mirrors those adopted on the west coast under California Proposition 36. Anderson's other bill in the drug area represents a major change in Maryland drug policy, HB992, would have repealed the state's without parole provisions from the sentences of second time non-violent drug felons. Referencing the fact that nearly 90% of those incarcerated in Maryland for drug felonies are of African-American descent, Anderson has sought to create a racially equitable solution to the drug problem. The Maryland State Commission of Sentencing Guidelines is also considering changing sentencing guidelines for low level felony drug offenders.
Although the bill passed both Houses, it sits on the Governor's desk and could be the subject of the new Governor's first veto.
Additionally, Anderson was the House of Delegates floor leader on legislation that would automatically expunge the records of the thousands of young men who have been arrested in Baltimore City without being charged with a crime. In 2006 more than 21,000 people, mostly African-Americans, were arrested in Baltimore City and then released hours later without being charged with a crime. Existing Maryland law would allow them to have their records expunged of these arrests but not without signing a written waiver of rights or waiting for three years. HB-10 would make the expungement automatic with no waiver, no fee and no waiting period. It passed the Maryland House of Delegates
on March 7, 2007, by a vote of 130- and signed into law on April 10, 2007.
That same year he was also the primary sponsor of HB 1071, creating child fatality review teams for the prevention of child deaths (became law Chapter 264)
but is activated when police officer has been killed or seriously wounded and the offender is still at large. Anderson's BLUE alert bill passed the House of Delegates with a 138–0 and passed the through the Maryland Senate with a 46–0 vote. Governor O'Malley signed the bill into law in May 2010, but then moved up its effective date by signing an executive order implementing the BLUE Alert system on June 22, 2010.
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Past genera l election results
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During the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly, Anderson recruited many of his colleagues to endorse Illinois senator Barack Obama
for President of the United States,
in December 2007, Anderson was chosen by the Obama Presidential campaign to appear on the ballot as a male delegate for Obama from Maryland's 7th congressional district
. Anderson campaigned in South Carolina
, Pennsylvania
, Virginia
, Maryland and Ohio
for Obama, knocking on doors and phone banking. Anderson's oldest son, Curtis, was chairman of the Norfolk, Virginia
for Obama campaign. In May 2008, the Maryland Democratic Party selected Anderson as an Obama PLEO delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention
in Denver, Colorado.
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
. Anderson was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
in 1983, is the chairman of the Baltimore City Delegation
Baltimore City Delegation
The Baltimore City Delegation refers to the 18 delegates who are elected from districts in Baltimore to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates in the United States. There are currently 6 legislative districts in Baltimore City with each having 3 delegates. The chairman of the delegation is...
, and past chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly...
. After serving 12 years, he was elected again in 2002. Anderson was also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in 1992 (Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
) and 2008 (Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
).
Background
Anderson was born on October 12, 1949 to Leonard Curtis Anderson and Jean Stovall in Chicago, Illinois. His father, a graduate of the Morgan State CollegeMorgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
, moved the family to Baltimore, in 1952, to take a job as the Dean of men at Morgan State and assistant rector at the St. James Episcopal Church. Anderson's parents divorced in 1957 and he and his two sisters were raised by his mother.
Education
Anderson attended primary schools in Baltimore and Glencoe, IllinoisGlencoe, Illinois
Glencoe is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 8,723. Glencoe is located on suburban Chicago's North Shore. Glencoe is located within the New Trier High School District. Glencoe is regarded as one of the most affluent suburbs on...
. In 1964 he entered the Baltimore City College
Baltimore City College
The Baltimore City College , also referred to as The Castle on the Hill, historically as The College, and most commonly City, is a public high school in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The City College curriculum includes the International Baccalaureate Programme and emphasizes study in the classics...
. He was the captain of the football
Baltimore City College football
The Baltimore City College football team, known as the "Knights", or formerly, the "Collegians" or "Alamedans", represents the Baltimore City College preparatory school of Baltimore, Maryland...
and track teams and won a scholarship to Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
. Anderson majored in political science and made the freshman and varsity football and freshman track teams. In the fall of 1969, Rutgers played Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, in the 100th Anniversary of college football; the first game being played by Rutgers and Princeton in 1869. Anderson saw limited action in the game and left Rutgers at the end of the semester. In 1973 he entered Morgan State College
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science. He also played on the legendary “Ten Bears
Morgan State University Lacrosse
The Morgan State University Lacrosse Bears was the only lacrosse team established to play NCAA-level lacrosse at a historically black institution. The team, from Baltimore, Maryland, defeated schools like Harvard and Notre Dame and upset a #1 ranked team in 1975...
” lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team, the only black college lacrosse team in America. In 1982, after, his television career, he entered the University of Baltimore Law School where he earned his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
.
Television career
WMAR-TV
WMAR-TV, channel 2, is the ABC affiliate television station in Baltimore, Maryland, owned by the broadcasting division of the E.W. Scripps Company...
, and channel 11, WBAL-TV
WBAL-TV
WBAL-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station in Baltimore, Maryland. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11. It is one of the flagship stations of Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation, which also owns sister radio stations WBAL and...
, in Baltimore, Maryland. Anderson was first hired by WBAL in 1976 as a reporter where he regularly covered the state legislature, Baltimore City Hall
Baltimore City Hall
Baltimore City Hall is the official seat of government of the City of Baltimore. City Hall houses the offices of the mayor and those of the Baltimore City Council. The building also hosts the city comptroller, some city departments and chambers of the Baltimore City Council...
, produced features and even boxed a round with Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
as a feature story in 1978. In 1980 he was hired by WMAR-TV to be the station's weekend anchor and reported on such events as the Wayne Williams
Wayne Williams
Wayne Bertram Williams is an American serial killer who committed most of the Atlanta Child Murders that occurred in 1979 through 1981. In January 1982, Williams was found guilty of the murder of two adult men...
trial in Atlanta (1981) and the Cuban refugee influx in Pennsylvania. In April 1982, Anderson was let go by WMAR-TV following a 90 day labor strike.
After the strike at WMAR, Anderson was let go from his television job and ran for the House of Delegates while entering law school. He won a seat served for 12 years before running for the Maryland Senate and losing in 1994.
Legislative career
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
, Anderson was elected chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly...
. As chairman he sponsored and saw passed Maryland's Minoirty Business Enterprise Act. One of the benefits of this act for minority business was increased participation in major state projects like the building of Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
. Nearly 20% of the contracts let for the construction of the new ballpark went to minority owned businesses. After 12 years in the House, Anderson ran for the Senate in 1994 but was defeated in the democratic primary. He practiced law for the next 8 years. In 2002 he made a run for the House of Delegates. As before he was a non-incumbent running against four incumbents for three seats. Unlike his first race in 1982 where he beat all the incumbents and finished first, this time Anderson finished third with a razor thin 100 vote margin of victory over 4th place finisher incumbent Ken Montague. In the 2006 general election campaign, Anderson joined with 43rd district incumbents Senator Joan Carter Conway
Joan Carter Conway
Joan Carter Conway is an American politician who represents district 43 in the Maryland State Senate. She is the first African American woman to be appointed chairman of any of the standing committees in the Maryland Senate and in 2000 was listed one of "Maryland's Top 100 Women" by the Daily...
, and Delegates Maggie McIntosh
Maggie McIntosh
Margaret L. McIntosh, commonly known as Maggie McIntosh, is an American politician from the state of Maryland. The Chairman of the Environmental Matters Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates, she has been a member of the House of Delegates since November 1992...
and Ann Marie Doory
Ann Marie Doory
Ann Marie L. Doory, is an American politician who represented the 43rd legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1987 to 2010. She resigned on July 13, 2010.-Background:...
to defeat a field of 6 other challengers.
Slots
Since his return to the legislature in 2003, Anderson has been well known for his opposition to the introduction of slot machines in Annapolis. Delegate Anderson organized protests against slots, wrote newspaper editorials and took to the airwaves at several local radio and television stations to solidify opposition to bringing organized gambling into Maryland. In spite of strong support for slots by then Maryland Governor Robert EhrlichRobert Ehrlich
Robert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, he became governor after defeating Democratic opponent Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a member of the Kennedy family, 51% to 48% in the 2002 elections...
, Anderson and his colleagues prevailed and a pro-slots bill never made it out of the House of Delegates though similar bills had passed the State Senate. In 2005, however, all that changed; both chambers passed different pro-slots bills. In the House of Delegates the measure passed by a 71–66 vote. In 2007 new Governor, Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
, hinted at some marginal support for slots as a possible new revenue source. Although Anderson and O'Malley share party affiliations, Anderson remained a staunch opponent of bringing slots into Maryland.
Crime
Curt Anderson is also the chairman of the House Judiciary's subcommittee on criminal justice, the House of Delegates' Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol and former chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of MarylandLegislative Black Caucus of Maryland
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly...
's committee on crime and justice. In 2003, Delegate Anderson was appointed to and currently serves on the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy
Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy
Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy, , is an agency within the state government of Maryland, that sets guidelines which are used by Maryland circuit court judges in sentencing persons convicted of crimes in the state.-Background:...
. His experiences from these positions as well as his background as a criminal defense attorney led him to the conclusion that most crime is just a symptom of the larger problem that society faces: drug addiction. In the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly, Anderson, therefore, introduced measures to increase drug treatment funding while requiring the state's courts to refer first time misdemeanor drug users to treatment. The initiative mirrors those adopted on the west coast under California Proposition 36. Anderson's other bill in the drug area represents a major change in Maryland drug policy, HB992, would have repealed the state's without parole provisions from the sentences of second time non-violent drug felons. Referencing the fact that nearly 90% of those incarcerated in Maryland for drug felonies are of African-American descent, Anderson has sought to create a racially equitable solution to the drug problem. The Maryland State Commission of Sentencing Guidelines is also considering changing sentencing guidelines for low level felony drug offenders.
Although the bill passed both Houses, it sits on the Governor's desk and could be the subject of the new Governor's first veto.
Additionally, Anderson was the House of Delegates floor leader on legislation that would automatically expunge the records of the thousands of young men who have been arrested in Baltimore City without being charged with a crime. In 2006 more than 21,000 people, mostly African-Americans, were arrested in Baltimore City and then released hours later without being charged with a crime. Existing Maryland law would allow them to have their records expunged of these arrests but not without signing a written waiver of rights or waiting for three years. HB-10 would make the expungement automatic with no waiver, no fee and no waiting period. It passed the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
on March 7, 2007, by a vote of 130- and signed into law on April 10, 2007.
2007
Anderson also sponsored legislation that would require the state's forensic laboratories be strictly monitored. The bill, which was signed by the Governor in 2007, proposed to ensure that the scientific reliability of forensic testimony could not be challenged due to a lack of appropriate standards and basic protocols. (became law Chapter 147)That same year he was also the primary sponsor of HB 1071, creating child fatality review teams for the prevention of child deaths (became law Chapter 264)
2008
During the 2008 legislative session Anderson sponsored the Custodial Interrogation Act which requires law enforcement officers to electronically record interrogations in murder and rape cases that resulted in confessions. The bill was signed into law by the Governor in May 2008.2009
During the 2009 session of the Maryland General Assembly, Anderson introduced two bills aimed at strengthening Maryland's drunk driving laws: HB330 (Manslaughter and Vehicular Manslaughter -Penalties) and HB 212 (Preliminary Breath Test – Evidence). Anderson was the primary sponsor of HB66, revamping and updating Maryland's theft statute.( Chapter 655) he also sponsored several gun bills designed to decrease violent crime in Baltimore.2010
Anderson was the primary and sole sponsor of House Bill 1473 – Maryland's "BLUE Alert" system. A system similar to that of the AMBER alertAMBER Alert
An AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...
but is activated when police officer has been killed or seriously wounded and the offender is still at large. Anderson's BLUE alert bill passed the House of Delegates with a 138–0 and passed the through the Maryland Senate with a 46–0 vote. Governor O'Malley signed the bill into law in May 2010, but then moved up its effective date by signing an executive order implementing the BLUE Alert system on June 22, 2010.
2011
During the 2011 legislative session, Anderson was the sponsor of House Bill 241. Aimed at public safety, this bill added shotguns and rifles to the list of weapons for which a mandatory sentence is required. The bill also increased the sentencing to 15 years in prison.{| class="navbox collapsible collapsed" style="text-align: left; border: 0px; margin-top: 0.2em;"
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Past genera l election results
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During the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly, Anderson recruited many of his colleagues to endorse Illinois senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for President of the United States,
in December 2007, Anderson was chosen by the Obama Presidential campaign to appear on the ballot as a male delegate for Obama from Maryland's 7th congressional district
Maryland's 7th congressional district
Maryland's 7th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives every two years. The seat is currently represented by Elijah Cummings . It encompasses the majority African American sections of Baltimore and Baltimore County, Maryland, in addition to the...
. Anderson campaigned in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Maryland and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
for Obama, knocking on doors and phone banking. Anderson's oldest son, Curtis, was chairman of the Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
for Obama campaign. In May 2008, the Maryland Democratic Party selected Anderson as an Obama PLEO delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver, Colorado.
Awards
- 2008 Legislator of the Year- Office of the Maryland Public Defender
- 2010 Most Influential Maryland Legislators (Top 20)
- 2010 Legislator of the Year- Maryland Fraternal Order of Police, Maryland Chapter Concerns of Police Survivors
External links
- http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa13208.html – Maryland Archives biography
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Curt_Anderson/1647037085 – Curt Anderson's Facebook post